Lost Girl - The Complete Series

By Elodie Short

Anna Hayes is growing up in a bad place.
A dirty mobile home. No dad in sight. A mom who's more concerned about how she'll get her next fix and an older brother who is always working, trying and make ends meet, leaving him unable to protect her.
To Anna this is normal, until one day she hears men threatening to take her away. Terrified she runs away.

Summer Ford doesn't particularly like kids; she prefers them at a distance.
But when she comes across a sobbing little girl in the park, it tugs on her heartstrings.
Something in Anna makes Summer want to keep her safe, and she sets out to make sure no one will harm her, but this turns out to be easier said than done.

Content warning: This story features sexual adult content.
For readers 18+ only.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elodie Short
• Release date: Jun 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533702180

Book preview

Chapter 1

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Bye Herbert, I say, while placing a thick lettuce leaf in my rabbit’s cage. I’ll be back soon. Maybe even with some nice juicy Dandelions if I can find some for you. He sniffs my fingers for a second in reply, but I’m sure I’ll be forgotten as soon as he attacks the lettuce.

I check my laptop bag one last time to make sure I’ve got everything I need, before zipping it up and swinging the strap over my shoulder. Walking out of my front door, I lock it behind me and stuff the key in a side pocket of my bag.

I walk down the open gallery to the staircase and let the warm breeze flow through my hair. Then take the two flights of stairs down and step out of the building.

It hasn't been such a nice day in a very long time. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a few seconds, letting the hot early afternoon sun warm up my skin. My mom must have known I would always relish in the summer sun, it’s probably why she named me after it.

I’m going to take advantage of every ray I can, by sitting on my bench near the park. I’ve started calling it my bench shortly after I moved here, since I'm the only one to ever use it, apart from the old man with his cane and dog. He sometimes has a quick rest before moving on, but never bothers me while I’m working.

Walking up to the bench, I smile at the sound of the children in the park laughing and shrieking. For some reason, those kids are great background noise while I'm working. I can't imagine them screaming and running around me all day long, that'll do my head in. Having them this far away, is close enough.

***

Turning the last corner, I can see the bench, but stop in my tracks when I see a girl, sitting in the spot I usually have all to myself. I can hear the girl lightly sobbing, and see her shoulders jerk up and down. Slowly I walk over to her and as soon as she hears me, her head snaps up in a swift move and she looks at me, terrified.

Hi, I approach her with a quiet voice, are you lost?

She shakes her head at me.

Why are you so upset, I ask. Placing my bag on the ground next to the bench I carefully sit down next to her.

She looks at me with big eyes and in a tiny voice she says they said ‘pay up or we will take Anna away from you’, so I ran away.

Who is Anna?

She looks at me, still with those big eyes, and points at her chest. Me, she whispers before clasping her face in her hands again with a big sob.

A shiver runs through us both at the same time, but where mine stops as a shiver, thinking this must just be some boys in the park, hers turns into a violent shake.

Are you cold? Or maybe scared? I ask, not knowing what else to say.

Both, she replies with clattering teeth.

I open up my bag to pull out a sweater, here, put this on, it might take the shivers away.

She looks up at me, seemingly unsure of what she should do.

It's okay, you can wear it for a little while, I encourage her.

She reaches out her hand to take the sweater, and a shy little smile creeps on to her face.

Now, tell me what happened. Were some boys in the park mean to you?

No.

Then what happened to make you so upset?

I told you, they said they would take me away. I don’t want them to take me away.

Who did? I ask. I look in all directions, but I don’t see anyone nearby looking over at us.

Well.. I’m not sure. I was in my room at home when I heard the men. I think they are friends of Mama. She has a lot of friends. Different friends most days, sometimes the same... I think I have seen today's friends before, I recognised their voices. But they were mean today. They shouted and said she needs to pay up or they will take Anna. I only know one Anna, and that is me, she lets out a little sob again and with a deep sigh she carries on, so I climbed out of my window and ran away.

I don't know what to say, this is slightly bigger than a spat with kids in the park. A little shocked by what she said, I just sit here for a moment to collect my thoughts.

So what are you going to do now? You can't stay here forever.

She shrugs, don't know.. I just had to run away.

Do you know anyone else that could help you?

I have a big brother.

That’s good, is he much bigger? Does he live somewhere else? I ask, hoping she can go to him, or is he just a little bigger than you?

He is a lot bigger, she smiles proudly as she talks about him, he’s even bigger than you. He lives with Mama and me.

And just like that she took all the hope away again. I can't bring her back home now, what if these men are still there? I know a child's imagination can go crazy, but what if this happened for real. She wouldn't be here for no reason and the fear in her eyes is definitely real. What if these threats aren't just threats?

But he is not there now, he is working, she says, pulling me out of my thoughts, back to the conversation.

Sorry, who isn't where now?

My brother, you asked me where he lives, but he’s not there now.

I sit back for a minute and stare ahead of me while I let everything sink in.

You know Anna, you sound very mature, how old are you?

I am five and a half, she replies proudly, how old are you?

Twenty-one.

Oh! Almost as old as Rick! she exclaims.

Who is Rick? I ask, a little confused again.

My big brother, she grins.

How old is Rick?

He’s twenty-two.

Okay, and where is Rick now?

She shrugs, what time is it?

I roll up my sleeve to look at my watch, it’s just after two.

That means he is still at the market.

Does he work there?

Yes, he works at the market during the day, and he works at the bar in the evening.

He works day and night? I ask with a gasp.

Mhm, she nods. He leaves really early. I always try to be awake before he leaves, but sometimes he is already gone I wake up, and he comes home very, very late, when I’m asleep.

I sit back again and think for a while, I can’t really dump her on her brother while he’s working and she seems okay now. I wonder if maybe I could bring her back home.

Do you think it would be okay if I come home with you? Meet your mama and make sure you are safe?

She smiles up at me, yes please.

Where do you live, Anna?

I don’t know what it’s called, but Rick always calls it ‘this dump’, she lets out a little giggle while she says it, as if it’s something she’s not meant to say. It’s where all the trailers are.

That is on the other side of town! I gasp again. How did you get all the way over here?

I've been to the park a few times with Rick. All the kids are always happy here and I wanted to be happy and not scared, so I came here, she replies in a matter-of-fact tone.

That really tugs on my heart strings, a little girl should feel safe at home. I reach down to pick my bag back up from the ground and fling it over my shoulder again. Come on, I’ll bring you home.

What's your name? she asks as she jumps off the bench.

Summer.

Summer, she mulls this over for a second, I like the summer. I like the sunshine. People are always happier when the sun shines.

Why weren’t you in the park with the other children? I ask her as we start on our way.

I was, she says looking at her feet, I was on the swings, but all the other children were looking at me all weird ‘cause I was crying. So I sat on the bench instead and watched them play.

Chapter 2

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It’s taken us almost an hour and a half to walk to the trailer park. On the way Anna kept stopping to pick flowers, to look at the buildings and she had to stroke every cat and dog that crossed our path.

At the first home, on the edge of the park, I shriek and jump up as two bulldogs suddenly come charging towards the chain link fence and start barking and growling viciously.

Anna bursts out laughing, I should have warned you about them, they always do that.

Great, just what you need as a welcome home. I let out a sigh as my heart rate slowly returns to normal.

I look to my right and see both dogs staring at us with their top lips pulled up to display a dangerous set of teeth. They move with us step by step as we walk past, a growl still emanating from their throats, dribble slowly dripping down their chin.

I grab Anna’s hand and start walking a little bit faster.

In front of the third home, I have to step over two used needles that are discarded on the road, from inside the home I can hear swearing.

By the time we walk past the seventh mobile home, my nerves are on edge. No child should grow up around here. I can hear yelling and swearing